The present invention is related to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0036983, filed on Apr. 30, 2005, titled “A bio-disc, a bio-driver apparatus, and an assay method using the same”; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0038765, filed on May 6, 2005, titled “A digital bio-disc, a digital bio-disc driver apparatus, and an assay method using the same”; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0057513, filed on Jun. 28, 2005, titled “A bio DVD drive apparatus, and an assay method using the same”; Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0128469, filed on Dec. 21, 2005, titled “A bio memory disc, a bio memory disc drive apparatus, and an assay method using the same ”; and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0073597, filed on Aug. 2, 2006, titled “A thin film chemical assay apparatus and an assay method using the same”.
One of the filed inventions provides: a micro valve to control flow of a fluid essential for a Lab-On-a-Chip system; a method of assaying bio substances; a bio-disc on which an assay apparatus is integrated; and a drive apparatus to control operation of the bio-disc.
Another one of the filed inventions provides a remote medical-diagnosis apparatus conveniently used by doctors and patients by assaying data measured using an assay device (assay site) by a detector combined with a converter which includes an optical measurement device, an electrochemical measurement device, a fluorescent measurement device, an impedance measurement device, or an image sensor device; converting the data into a digital value; and transmitting the result via a communication network such as the Internet.
Another one of the filed inventions provides a solid substrate (or solid carrier) in which channels as a fluid flow path, a chamber as a buffer reservoir, a hole connecting the channels, and an assay site with biomolecular arrays immobilized thereon are integrated, a valve used to open and close the hole connecting the channels, at least one preparation chamber for preparing serum or DNA samples from blood, an amplifying chamber for amplifying the DNA samples, various enzymatic functions, and configurations of the chambers.
Another one of the filed inventions provides a method of representing a product identification (ID) indicating a model number or a version of a bio-disc, on the bio-disc using a barcode pattern.
Furthermore, another one of the filed inventions provides a memory embedded wireless RF IC (or electronic tag) included in the bio-disc in order to store a protocol for a Lab-On-a-Chip, an assay algorithm, standard control values for assaying, positional information on assay sites, bioinformatic information, information related to self-diagnosis, bio-disc driver software, educational information on clinical assays for patients, a variety of web sites and links enabling a patient at a remote location to communicate with a doctor or hospital at a remote location based on his/her diagnosis result, encrypted personal information, history, or the like.
The wireless RF IC is an information-storing device for radio frequency identification (RF ID) replacing the barcode with a semiconductor chip, and includes an antenna and a semiconductor chip.
If information on a product such as date of production and product ID is recorded to the RF IC and the RF IC is attached to the product, the information can be identified wirelessly using a RF ID reader.
An animal RF ID is implanted to the animal or attached to the skin of the animal and includes a unique identification number. The RF ID and the RF IC are made based on international standards, such as ISO 11784 and ISO 11785, which are well known in the art, or the modifications thereof.
Since encrypted personal information and the product ID of the bio-disc are stored in the RF IC, they are not available for a non-authorized person.
In addition, information on species, age, place of origin, etc., of the animal is recorded to a tag which is attached to the animal RF ID, and thus, the information may be identified by a wireless RF ID reader.
Since the history of an animal can be tracked using the animal RF ID, when an animal disease such as mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu, etc., occurs, efficient measures for the disinfection of the animal may be taken within a short period of time. Information on the raising, slaughtering of the animal and the processing and circulation of the meat of the animal can be obtained and be accurately revealed to customers.
The animal RF ID can also be applied to agricultural products and a food history tracking system, thereby providing customers with accurate information on food.
In addition, the types of diseases which can be detected by the bio-disc, according to a version of the bio-disc, can be stored in the wireless RF IC.
Information stored on the wireless RF IC is transferred to a bio drive apparatus via a wireless communication.
According to another one of the filed inventions, the assay site of the bio-disc includes a reference line (or reference spot) and a plurality of test lines (or test spots), and a concentration of a sample may be quantitatively measured using the biosensor based on a difference of relative reaction intensity.
Remote medical-diagnosis systems to diagnose human diseases by a remote doctor via a communication network are known in the art. For example, a remote diagnosis service has been conducted by converting data, such as blood pressure, pulse, and medical video Information, obtained from a patient into digital signals and transmitting the digital signals to a remote doctor.
A remote medical-diagnosis system capable of measuring a blood pressure or a pulse of a patient, storing the result in a storing device, and monitoring the result, in a remote area using a communication means, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,132 (Dec. 26, 1989) titled “Portable automated blood pressure monitoring apparatus and method” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,562 (Dec. 15, 1987) titled “Outpatient monitoring systems”.
A remote medical-diagnosis system including transmitting video images of a patient, which are obtained by computerized axial tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to a remote doctor, and a diagnosing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,870 (Aug. 16, 1988) titled “System and method for remote presentation of diagnostic image information” and “Medical image information transmission system” (JP 02-218336; 1990-08-31).
A remote diagnosis system including converting an X-Ray into FM and transmitting the data to a remote area is disclosed in “X-Ray picture transmitter” (JP 59-047872; 1984-03-17).
A system including checking the daily state of a patient's health using a home health care system, and transmitting the result to a remote storing device or a remote doctor via a communication network is disclosed in a European Patent titled “Apparatus for monitoring and signaling system” (CA 1153441; 1983-09-06).
A remote medical-diagnosis system including measuring body temperature, blood pressure, etc., of a patient and storing in or transmitting the measured results to a remote area is disclosed in a Japanese Patent titled “Health meter” (JP 57-008418; 1982.01.16).
A remote medical system transmitting biological signals of a patient to a remote doctor is disclosed in Japanese Patent titled “System for transmitting signals from a living body” (JP 52-020050; 1977.02.15).
In addition, a remote diagnosis system in which a patient at home applies an electronic stethoscope to his/her body according to instructions of a remote doctor is disclosed in a Japanese Patent titled “Remote stethoscopy system” (JP 54-114008; 05.09.1979) .
A remote medical-diagnosis system including inputting a patient's ID, measuring blood pressure, pulse, weight, an electrocardiogram, etc., transmitting the measured data to a remote health control apparatus using a communication network, and receiving diagnosis results is disclosed in a Japanese Patent titled “Health control apparatus” (JP 63-21870, 1988.02.03).
A remote diagnosis can be conducted according to conventional remote medical-diagnosis systems by which a doctor provides a patient with a text, voice, or video medical consultation service via a communication network including the Internet, a doctor gives instructions as how to use an apparatus for medical examination to a patient and analyzes measured data of the apparatus for medical examination so as to provide a remote diagnosis in real time, or a doctor in a remote area stores data measured using an apparatus for medical examination via a server of a hospital, analyzes the data, and notifies a patient of the diagnosis result.
However, such conventional remote medical-diagnosis systems have problems as follows.
Firstly, a device for blood assay is so expensive that only central laboratories and hospitals can purchase the device for blood assay and so complicated that only trained experts can handle the device for blood assay. Thus, an urgent sample cannot be immediately analyzed since the sample needs to be transported to the central laboratories and hospitals. This is regarded as a “passive type” remote medical-diagnosis system, and in this system, the patient should visit the hospital and consult with the doctor for most of the examinations using a blood sample, and receive at home the diagnosis results of the examinations conducted based on the blood sample from a remote doctor.
Secondly, if there are many other patients waiting, a patient should wait for a doctor to use an apparatus for medical examination according to real time instructions of the doctor, the transmitting of the measured data to the doctor in real time, and the receiving of a remote diagnosis result even if the patient has the apparatus for medical examination. Thus, in this “real time apparatus for medical examination” or remote medical-diagnosis system type, the patient waits for the doctor.
Thirdly, a “passive type” remote medical-diagnosis system in which a patient should wait for a doctor's diagnosis after transmitting data measured using an apparatus for medical examination and a bioanalytical device to the doctor in a remote area even if the patient has the apparatus for medical examination and the bioanalytical device, is very inconvenient. If the patient spends time waiting for the doctor or pays for simple or frequent examinations, using the remote medical-diagnosis system may be inconvenient.
Fourthly, a patient cannot choose a medical expert (a doctor, a hospital, a pharmacy, or a pharmacist) in the conventional remote medical-diagnosis system. That is, the patient who signs up to the conventional remote diagnosis system does not have rights to select a doctor or a pharmacist. However, the patient should have rights to have high-quality service from qualified doctors or pharmacists.
Fifthly, most of the conventional remote medical-diagnosis systems are conducted between a patient and a doctor. However, simple consultation with a pharmacist and medicine purchased according to the pharmacist's prescription may be enough for light diseases such as flu virus or a headache. Thus, there is a need to connect the patient with the pharmacy as well as the hospital in the remote medical-diagnosis system. In addition, information on the patient's constitution analyzed using the bioanalytical device should be transmitted to the pharmacy as well as the hospital to obtain a personalized prescription and purchase a personalized medicine. That is, there is a need for a remote medical-diagnosis system for personalized medicine.
Sixthly, a conventional remote medical-diagnosis system is used after a patient signs up to the system, receives a password, and agrees to the rules and regulations. However, the sign up process and authentication process are complicated, and there is a risk of medical accidents caused by the misuse and leakage of the password. In addition, since patients are mainly the elderly, they are not easily accustomed to the complicated sign up process and authentication process, or they often lose their passwords.